A Spark of Humanity, Relationships in 'Interview with the Vampire'

By their very nature vampires seems destined for isolation. Though they share many superficial similarities with humans they are parasites by nature, isolated in what what Rice refers to as a ‘forest of humanity’. In Interview with the Vampire Rice explores one such vampire, who struggles to balance his baser instincts with his need for companionship on his immortal journey. The through line of the story is the relationship between Louis and the cruel and guileful Vampire Lestat. Although Lestat constantly toys with Louis, torments him even, the reality is Lestat is the true benefactor from their relationship. He is desperate for companionship and his monstrous behavior is partly his true nature and partly a smokescreen to hide his weakness. Louis for his part accepts his cohort in immortality. At first out of necessity and fear as he grasps for anything after the death of his brother, but later it seems out of a begrudging fondness for Lestat. But immortality it would seem is destined to devastate any relationship.

Tormented by a nagging sense of morality Louis does everything in his power to resist Lestat’s constant invitation to succumb to his baser urges. Slowly Louis caves to Lestat and his own craving for human nourishment. Louis becomes disillusioned with Lestat’s glaring lack of humanity and his own bloodlust. As Louis contemplates leaving, Lestat introduces him to the most important relation of all, the little vampire girl Claudia. They take her in as their ‘daughter’ so they may stay together to care for her. Although Louis and Lestat take up pseudo-parental roles, it would be inaccurate to characterize their relationship as father-daughter. Lestat plays the role of the stern, father figure who teachers her the violent facts of vampire life and Louis is more mothering and teaches her the joys of knowledge and critical thinking. Even so, for all Louis’s endless adoration, Claudia is still more of his plaything, his docile vessel to fill with ideas. Since it is not a parental or sexual relationship the only explanation for Louis’s attachment to Claudia is his feeling of power over her as well as the connection to what her innocent form represents in his last vestiges of humanity. What Claudia gets from their relationship is not immediately clear obvious, however it is very different from what Louis is receiving. It is only when Claudia starts to use some of the knowledge she gained from Louis to uncover the truth that their relationship starts to break down. From that point on they are only ‘bound together by hatred’ as Claudia says. When it is clear that Claudia has turned monstrous and the power dynamic shifts again Louis feels lost.  It is this shifting of power that turns Louis and Claudia against Lestat and leads Louis briefly towards Armand, a turn of events that spells ruin for all. After so much loss, Louis takes the only reasonable approach and becomes a solitary creature. The path that seems destined for all vampires that, like Louis still retain some inner spark of humanity.